Folded napkin dispenser



Jan. 6, 1948. R. T. FRIEDERS FOLDED NAPKIN DISPENSER Filed Aug. 8, 19463 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 6, 1948. R. T. FRIEDERS FOLDED NAPKIN DISPENSERFiled Aug. 8, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 MMM z 2%@ Jan. 6, 1948. R. T.FRlEDl-:Rs 2,434,206

FOLDED NAPKIN DISPENSER Filed Aug. 8, 194e' 5 sheets-sheet :s

- [MA/"WM Patented Jan. 6, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FOLDEDNAPKIN DISPENSER Application August 8, 1946, Serial No. 689,265

(Cl. S12-62) 2 Claims.

that the casing can be easily opened. and closed for loading the same,the two .sectionsbeing `adapted to form opposite receptacles to receiverespectively stacks of the articles, with the two stacks separated ,byan intervening space, in

which is mounted pressure exerting mechanism adapted lto press thestacks toward' the e'nd walls of their respective sections so thatindividualarticles can be .dispensed through openings in the end wallsof the sections 'when the two sections lare closed. An ob'jectof theinvention is to provide a means whereby the spring-urged bar which linksthe pusher plate Lto the base' of the dispenser may, when the dispenserfis heldopen,

be moved in either direction on itshinges.

In the dispenser referred to in VPatent No. 2,138,692, a plate isVriveted to the bottom of each dispenser section' .and each such vplateis provided wth an integral ngerwhichis adapted to extend into 'theadjacent sectionand to engage the socket portion of the link bar in the:adjacent section when the 'sections 'of' the dispenser are swung openthereby retracting the pusher plates to a position perpendicular to the.dispenserfaces of the dispenser. With this -arrangement if thedispenser sections are held open and the pusher plates and link bars areforced toward the respective dispensing' faces, there isa tendency to"break off the integral fingers mentioned above.

Tofovercome this difficulty, I'have used a similar yconstruction ofthedispenser as described in the above-mentioned' patent but haveeliminated the integral ngers on the base plates and instead of having a,coil spring on the pintlev to urge 'the link bars outward I haveprovided two coil springs on the pintle, one `tofurge each link bar. Oneend of the coil spring is afxed to the plate which" is `riveted to thebottom `of one of the dispenser sections and the other vend aifxed tothe link bar intheadjacentsection. When the section of the dispensersare opened, the springs urgethe link bars to the `position perpendicularto i the dispensing faces of v-thecdispensen` zand when the dispenser isclosed, the springs urge the link bars toward the respective dispensingfaces. When the dispenser is held open, the pusher plates and link barsmay be ,forced in either direction without danger of any of the partsbeing broken.

The invention is described in detail hereinafter, pointed out in theappended claims, and illustrated by the accompanying drawings.

In the accompanying drawings, in which similar reference charactersdesignate corresponding parts Figure 1 is a perspective view of thedispenser,

Figure 2 is a sectional view of the dispenser taken on lines 2-2 of`Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a plan yview ofthe dispenser in opened position,

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the opened dispenser,

Figure 5 is a side view ofthe fully opened dispenser,

Figure 5-A is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the hinge mechanismshown in Figure 5,

Figure 6 is a side View of the partially closed dispenser, and

Figure G-A is. an Aenlarged vertical sectional view of the hingemechanism shown in Figure'.

Referring to the drawings, the dispenser comprises two together bypintle 60 so as to be swingable from the closed position shown' inVFigure 1 .to the fully opened position shown in Figure 4. Section Iconsists of a top Wall I0, side Walls 9. and I4, and a bottom wall 30.Section 2 similarly consists of a top wall I2, sidewalls 8 and I5, and abottom Wall 3l. Each of the sections I and 2 is provided with a, frontface plate 20 having an upper portion 22 protruding inwardly of thesections I and 2 as shown in Figure 2. Face plate 20 is provided with anoval shaped opening through which the folded napkins A may be withdrawnfrom the dispenser.

Section I is provided with a flange portionV YI3 extending beyond theedge portions of the top wall I0 and side walls 9 and I4. The flangeportion I3 is adapted to overlap the edge portions of the top wall I2and side walls 8 and I5 vof section 2 as shown in Figures 1 and 2 so asto securely close the sections I and 2. A tongue portion I8 (see Figure6) is provided adjacent one edge of section 2 which engages acomplementary slot I8 in flange I3 of section I, so as toreleasably lockthe sections together. A pair of vguide plates 3a are provided'in each`dispenser section Vfor..,SJ-,1IJ porting'and guidingthe bottom edges ofthe Ynapcomplementary sections I and 2 hinged 3 kins as they are pushedtoward the dispensing opening. Plates 8I are provided in the rear ofeach dispenser section for retaining the rear of each stack of napkinspositioned therein.

A plate 40a is riveted to the bottom 3l of section 2 as shown in Figure2. Similarly a plate 40a is riveted to the bottom 30 of section I.Plates 40a are provided with interfitting knuckle portions 'Il and 12which are retained by pintle 'Ill for permitting swinging of thesections I and 2 on said pintle.

Each section I and 2 is provided with a pusher plate 4D which isactuated by spring urged link bar 43 for exerting pressure upon the rearof a stack of napkins Ay placed in each section as shown in Figure 2.

Wing portions 42o are stamped out of each pusher plate and are providedwith openings for hingedly receiving pins 44 provided at one end' of thelink bar 43. The other end of each link bar adjacent pintle I isprovided with cut out portions 52 complemental with socket portions 50provided on plates 40a. The link bars are also provided with hingeknuckle portions 43a for receiving pintle 'I0 so as to be swingablethereon.

Two springs 6D are coiled on pintle l0 for normally urging each link barforwardly toward the dispensing opening. One end 66 of the springextends through an opening 65 in the link bar and the other end 6I ofthe spring projects into the socket portion 50 in the opposed section asshown in Figures 2 and 6-A. When the sections I and 2 of the dispenserare opened partially as Vin Figure 6, or fully as in Figures 4 and 5,the sockets 50 will engage the lends 6I of the spring and urge the linkbars pivoted on pintle l!) to assume an upright back-to-back positionshown in Figures 4 and 5. Each of the link bars and pusher plates 40pivoted thereon can be manually pushed toward either section I or 2 asshown by the dotted lines in Figure 5. Thus any accidental pushing ofthe pusher plates after the sections I and 2 are opened will not causeany damage to the link bars as often occurred in the constructiondisclosed in Patent No. 2,138,692.

The bottom of each section is provided with rubber legs 2| forsupporting the dispenser upon any desired supporting surface withoutscratching or marring the same.

In using the dispenser, the sections I and 2 are swung open by manuallyreleasing tongue I9 from slot I8 so that the sections assume theposition shown in Figure 4, with the pusher plates 40 retracted out ofthe sections and in back-toback relation. A stack of napkins is thenplaced in each section with the grasping tabs A properly aligned so asto be presented at the dispensing opening in each of the front faceplates. The sections I and 2 are then swung together and locked by theengagement of tongue I9 in slot I8 in the position shown in Figure 1. Asthe individual napkins are removed from the dispensing slot the pusherwill urge forwardly the remaining napkins in proper position fordispensing purposes.

The construction of the dispenser as herein described thus provides adispenser having two complemental hinged sections, each section adaptedto contain a stack of napkins which are urged vforward toward thedispensing slot by a pusher plate. When the sections are swung open theconstruction of the dispenser provides automatic means for retractingthe pusher plates from thev sections thereby permitting them to berefilled with a fresh supply of napkins. When 4 the sections are closedupon the separated stacks of napkins the pusher plates are automaticallyactuated so as to urge the napkins toward the dispensing opening forpositioning the napkins in proper position for withdrawal from thedispenser.

Numerous changes and modifications may be made in the details of theconstruction herein described and it is intended to cover suchmodications within the scope of the appended claims except as they maybe limited by the prior art..

I claim:

1. A dispenser for folded napkins and the likeY comprising twocomplemental sections, each sec- 'tion having a top, bottom, sides and afront face panel, said front face panel being provided with aVdispensing opening, a hinge connection between the bottoms of thecomplemental sections including a pintle, whereby the sections may beclosed upon separated stacks of napkins arranged in each section to abutthe said respective front face panels so as to be dispensed through saiddispensing openings, means for retaining the sections in closedrelation, a link bar in each section hinged at one end upon said pintle,a pair of coiled springs on said pintle for urging each of said linkbars outwardly, pusher plates hinged to the other end of said link barsfor urging the separated stacks toward the respective front face panelswhen the said sections are closed, anda plate affixed to the bottom ofeach section, said plate being provided with a socket portion adjacentsaid pintle, one end of each ofV said springsbeing aiiixed to one ofsaid link bars and theother end of each of said springs being engaged inthe socket portion of the opposed section and being adapted forautomatically retracting said link bars and pusher plates from each ofsaid sections when the sections are swung open.

2. A dispenser for folded napkins and the like comprising twocomplemental sections, each sec- `tion having a top, bottom, sides and afront face panel, said front face panel being provided with a dispensingopening, a hinge connection between the bottoms of the complementalsections including a pintle, whereby the sections may be closed uponseparated stacks of napkins arranged in each section to abut the saidrespective front face panels so as to be dispensed through saiddispensing openings, means for retaining the sections in closedrelation, a link bar in each section hinged at one end upon said pintle,a pair of coiled springs on said pintle for urging each yof said linkbars outwardly, pusher plates hinged to the other end of said link barsfor urging the separated stacks toward the respective front face panelswhen the said sections are closed, a socket portion in the bottom ofeach section adjacent said pintle, one end of each of said springs beingaxed to one of said link bars and the other end of each of said springsbeing engaged in the socket portion of the opposed section and beingadapted for automatically retracting said link bars and pusher platesfrom each of said sections when the sections are swung open.

ROBERT T. FRIEDERS.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Broeran Nov. 29, 1938Number

